The man who ran into a CTV Vancouver live broadcast and directed vulgar obscenities at a female reporter came to the news station Monday afternoon to apologize.
“It was just a stupid, impulsive decision on my behalf,” said Nicolas Pogossian outside of the CTV Vancouver headquarters downtown.
“I’m just hoping that I can set my story straight, and that I can apologize to the people at CTV and to the reporter. People make mistakes, and I’m just here to apologize for what was said.”
Reporter Sarah MacDonald was wrapping up a live report from a large Pokémon meetup on Robson Street in downtown Vancouver at 11:30 p.m. last Thursday night when Pogossian walked beside her and said "f—k her right in the poke balls."
He also filmed the prank on Snapchat.
When Pogossian ran away, his arm became tangled in the reporter's IFB audio earpiece, which ripped it off her jacket and out of her ear.
Ironically, the reporter was covering a story discussing the privacy concerns surrounding the Pokémon Go craze.
After the incident, Vancouver Police Sgt. Randy Fincham said the suspect could be subject to assault charges.
"It's certainly something we'll look at and if charges are appropriate then we'll look at that," he said.
"The media are here to perform a service, just like we are, of sharing what's happening with the public and I hope people would recognize that and appreciate that and leave them alone."
Pogossian said he was “dumbfounded” when the incident “blew up all over the news.”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal at first… I didn’t think it would blow up as big as it would, so it was definitely a surprise to me,” he told CTV News. “I was freaking out obviously, because it was kind of bad publicity for me.”
The incident is the latest in a string of incidents where North American reporters, primarily women, are targeted by the prank – delivering sexually explicit taunts on live television.
Last spring, a Hydro One employee was fired and later rehired after flinging obscene language at CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt outside a Toronto stadium. A Calgary man was charged over similar harassment that same month.
After those incidents, CBC Manitoba reported that at least 11 of its reporters had been similarly targeted by the "prank."
Pogossian said he spoke to Vancouver police on Monday, and is really hoping no legal action will be taken.
“If I got the chance to see [the reporter] in person I would definitely apologize to her,” he said. “People make mistakes… hopefully that we can develop a friendship down the road.”
Reporter Sarah MacDonald has yet to personally receive an apology from Pogossian. An investigation is ongoing.
